Is it time to kick Russia out of the BRICs (金砖四国)？If so, it may end up sounding like a famous ball-point pen maker—BIC. An argument is being made that Goldman Sach’s famous marketing device (策略), the BRICs, should really be the BICs.
“Is Russia really worth the name BRICs?” asks Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in an article for Foreign Policy. Aslund, who is also co-author with Andrew Kuchins of “The Russian Balance Sheet”, thinks the Russia of Putin and Medvedev is just not worthy of inclusion alongside Brazil, India and China in the list of future economic powerhouses. He writes:
“The country’s economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group. I have just returned from Moscow, which is always dull around this season. For the last seven years, Russia has taken very few measures to improve its economy. Instead, the state has been living on oil and gas.”
Economically, Aslund has the numbers on his side. The International Monetary Fund figures that the Russian economy will fall by 6.7 percent in 2009, while China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent. There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doing far better than Russia.
But the BRICs are not just about economy. As is mentioned above, it is a marketing device to encourage investors (投资者) to focus on the big promising players. From an investment standpoint, it could be argued that Russia is leading the BRICs. Its stock market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent is for the other three.
At very least, despite Russia’s economic underperformance, its stock market outperformance does suggest it is indeed one of the group.According to the passage, which country will enjoy the biggest increase in 2009?
| A．China | B．Russia | C．Brazil | D．India |
According to Aslund, Russia shouldn’t be a BRIC partly because _______.
| A．its economic performance is worse than that of the others |
| B．its leaders are not good at managing economy |
| C．it has taken effective measures to improve its economy |
| D．it will no longer attract investors from other countries |
From the passage we know that _______.
| A．Anders Aslund is working for the Russian government |
| B．Russia outperformed the other three countries in stock market |
| C．most people disagree Russia is included in the BRICs |
| D．the BRICs would end up being the BICs sooner or later |
The author seems to _______.
| A．suggest it’s time to kick Russia out of the BRICs |
| B．feel worried about the economy of the BRICs |
| C．think Russia is worth being one of the group |
| D．show disappointment to Russia’s economy |
The main cause why some children are aggressive and are “always angry with the world ”is that they have no idea how to realize that the term “problem solving” does not necessary mean solving a math problem or an assignment. When you hear experts tell you to teach your children problem_solving skill, what they mean is to teach your kids all about emotional managing and learning to cross the stormy waters of childhood ,and eventually , life .
Parents should teach their children as early as possible how to handle certain situations . Young children easily lose their temper .When things do not go their way , it makes them angry and frustrated and they can get violent . Especially since young child have limited self control , bursting into anger is a very easy thing for them to do .
Anything can set up a child’s tantrum. For example , you and your child went to the mall . He told you that he wanted to buy a new toy , but you refused because he had already had one on his birthday. He insisted because this one was the new version . But you still refused , so he began to get angry and started screaming .
There are a few things that you can do to teach your child some problem _solving skills. First, you need to find out what the problem is . Perhaps your child is having problems identifying the cause of his frustrations . As a parent, it will not be that hard for you to know what is going on in your child’life. After he calms down, ask him quietly why he got so mad and then together , help him think why he was so angry . When your child figures out what is really making him upset , help him think of ways to solve the problem and help him look at all his reactions and evaluate the potential consequences.who would probably show interest in the passage ?
A, Experts B, Teachers C, Parents D,ChildrenIn paragraph 2 , the writer stresses that it is necessary for______________.
A, parents to guide their children through troubling cases.
B, parents to solve some problems for their children
C, children to depend on their parents sometimes
D, children to manage bad situations as their parents do In paragraph 3 the underlined word “tantrum” can be best replaced by “_________”
A, anger B, habit C, stress D, aim Which would be the best title for the passage ?
A, Taking more care of your children.
B, Teaching your children problem_solving skills.
C, What are problem_solving skills.
D, Why do your children become so angry ?
1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera (照相机).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different processs. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travellers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, the process was improved. Now photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States, where from the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.
Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.
Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible.
In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film readymade in rolls. So they did not have to make the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later, meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.
With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favourite places. They called these pictures "snapshots".
Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawings.
Photography had turned into a form of art by the beginning of the 20th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.The passage is mainly about______________.
| A．the invention of cameras |
| B．a kind of new art -- photography |
| C．the development of photography |
| D．the different uses of cameras in history |
The first pictures of a war were taken by ____________.
| A．a French photographer in the 1840s |
| B．an American photographer in the 1860s |
| C．a German reporter in the 1880s |
| D．a French artist in the 1890s |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the photography in the 19th century?
| A．It was mainly based on the invention of the first photograph. |
| B．Photographers were popular in the United States because they carried lots of equipment. |
| C．Photographers used to make film themselves and developed it immediately after taking a photo. |
| D．Small handheld cameras made it possible for anyone to become a gifted photographer. |
In which order are the following statements mentioned in the passage?
a. Photographs became popular in newspapers.
b. Photographers carried processing equipment when taking pictures.
c. The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.
d. Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.
e. Brady took pictures of famous people.
| A．e,a, d, b, c | B．d, b, e, c, a |
| C．b, e, c, a, d | D．d, c, e, a , b |
Photography can also be an art form because artists can ____________.
| A．take anything they like |
| B．keep a record of real life |
| C．take photos of the famous |
| D．show ideas and feelings in pictures |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants,who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool．When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don`t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile`s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn`t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish`s skin．“Cleaner”fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other | C．get their food | D．Take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that．
| A． dust can dry their fur and skin |
| B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them |
| D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we earl know that．
| A．some animals can get clean from others`help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．small animals couldn`t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the wrasse
| A．is often eaten by other fish |
| B．1ikes under other fish`s skin |
| C．is a small kind of fish |
| D．1ikes taking baths |
Moving to a new city and state was difficult for me, especially in winter. Little did I know that a Colorado snowstorm would greet me after I had been in my new home for only a week.
I just missed home. But more than the old house and the beach, I missed Stacey, my best friend. And I missed our lovely tea. Going to a sweet little tearoom, we had discovered was a special treat for us. The place was a Victorian dream, with delicate teacups and tablecloths with flower prints. The hat shelf near the front door swept us back to childhood. Stacey and I became little girls, trying on different hats until we found the perfect one for our dress-up tea party. We would then choose a lovely table and order our tea. That was a precious time, filled with laughter between scones（煎饼） and sharing our lives between tiny cucumber sandwiches.
Springtime descended upon Denver, and the sun lightened my heart. But I still fought loneliness almost every day. I decided to explore the Denver area. While my husband went to the office, I took time to see what our new area had to offer.
One day, I was walking along the street when suddenly the words "Tea Leaves" caught my eye. A tea room? Here, in the land of loneliness and pain?
I walked through the doors, and tears came to my eyes. It was a beautiful room, not Victorian, but simple and lovely.
I sat down and ordered a pot of tea, a cucumber sandwich, and some scones. It felt silly and wonderful --- and it felt like home. For the first time since moving, I felt as if this new city and state could be, would eventually be, my home. I would come back here and bring new friends. When Stacey visited, we would come here.
I lifted my cup and made a silent toast. I toasted Stacey, whom I missedly, and I toasted the sweet little tearoom that lessened my pain.The author's hometown ______________.
| A．never snows | B．is still warm in winter |
| C．has a long history | D．is in an area by the sea |
The underlined word "treat" in Paragraph 2 probable means ____________.
| A．delicious food | B．something pleasant |
| C．service | D．a kind of tea party |
We can know from Paragraph 3 that the author ______________.
| A．didn't adapt to the new life |
| B．felt comfortable in the new environment in spring |
| C．didn't feel lonely any more in spring |
| D．wanted to actively adapt to the new environment |
Which of the following about "Tea Leaves" is true?
| A．It made the author recall her childhood. |
| B．It looks silly and wonderful. |
| C．Cucumber sandwiches and scones are its specialties. |
| D．It touched the author. |
We can infer from the text that the author would probably ____________.
| A．open her own teahouse |
| B．ask the owner of the teahouse to decorate it like a home |
| C．make new friends in Denver |
| D．go back to her hometown to visit Stacey |
I came to study in the United States a year ago .Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time .The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.The author’s roommate offered to help him because________.
| A．he felt sorry for the author |
| B．he thought it was a chance to make some money |
| C．he knew the doctor was a very good one |
| D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer |
The word “charge” in the third paragraph means_________ .
| A．ask as a price | B．accuse | C．be responsible | D．claim |
Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very__________.
| A．friendly | B．busy | C．professional | D．selfish |
What conclusion can you draw from the story?
| A．Going to court is something very common in America. |
| B．One must be very careful while driving a car. |
| C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides. |
| D．Money is more important than other things in the US. |